beer

noun

ˈbir 

1

: a carbonated, fermented alcoholic beverage that is usually made from malted cereal grain (especially barley), is flavored with hops, and typically contains less than a 5% alcohol content compare ale, craft beer, lager entry 1, malt liquor sense 2

2

: a carbonated nonalcoholic or a fermented slightly alcoholic beverage with flavoring from roots or other plant parts

birch beer

3

: fermented mash

4

: a drink of beer

Examples of beer in a Sentence

Would you like beer with dinner?

The pub brews its own beer.

I'll have a beer, please.

a couple of cold beers

a glass of birch beer

Recent Examples on the Web

Good old Michelob beer sold in red, white, and blue cans poured from the concessions; helicopters choppered overhead for a flyover and movie stars got face time. —Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 June 2026

Locals spent Saturday at the Carrie Blast Furnaces for a day of sampling dozens of local beers and cocktails as part of the 12th annual Beers of the Burgh Festival. —CBS News, 13 June 2026

Swilling beers from sponsor Corona, the hosts marveled at the turnaround, expressing the same astonishment that Larry David, Ben Stiller and other fans were showing on the ABC telecast. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 June 2026

Called Ritual Pour, Witte focuses on one style of beer done to perfection multiple ways. —Em Sauter, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ber, going back to Old English bēor, akin to Old High German bior "beer," Old Norse bjórr; perhaps all going back to a dissimilated form of Germanic *breura-, a nominal derivative of *brewwan- "to brew entry 1"

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing beer

• beer and skittles
• beer belly
• beer goggles
• beer gut
• beer mat
• beer pong
• craft beer
• ginger beer
• lager beer
• near beer
• root beer
• small beer
• spruce beer

Rhymes for beer

• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• deer
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear
• here

Kids Definition

beer

noun

ˈbi(ə)r 

1

: an alcoholic drink made from malt and flavored with hops

2

: a nonalcoholic drink made from roots or other parts of plants

birch beer